The present invention generally relates to inflatable ships. More particularly, the invention relates to an inflatable kayak with a novel shape which provides improved performance. In particular, the improved inflatable kayak of the present invention provides superior performance in terms of maneuverability, tracking and speed over conventional inflatable kayak designs.
Inflatable kayaks provide several benefits over noninflatable kayaks made from wood or fiberglass. In particular, inflatable kayaks are more portable than noninflatable kayaks and are safer to use. These advantages of inflatable kayaks result from several design differences between inflatable and noninflatable kayaks.
For example, noninflatable kayaks have a solid shell which cannot be collapsed or folded for portability. While noninflatable kayaks are relatively lightweight their size makes transporting them difficult. In contrast, inflatable kayaks can be deflated and folded up to a relatively compact size for portability.
Further, noninflatable kayaks have a deck which completely covers the kayak except for a hole through which the user fits. The user's legs extend into the space between the hull of the kayak and the deck, and the user wears a tight fitting apron which is secured around the edge of the hole in the kayak deck. In contrast, an inflatable kayak has no deck. The user simply sits in the inflatable kayak with his legs extended forward. Consequently, inflatable kayaks are safer to use than noninflatable kayaks because the user is not enclosed within the body of the kayak if the kayak turns over in the water.
Nevertheless, conventional inflatable kayaks suffer from several disadvantages. Conventional inflatable kayaks are made from pieces of plastic material which are sealed together to form the body of the kayak. Generally, the pieces of plastic material are sealed by welding or gluing. Once assembled, the inflatable kayak includes one or more chambers which can be inflated to provide buoyancy.
Until recently, however, manufacturing technology limited the shape of inflatable kayaks due to limitations on the ability to form the various pieces of plastic material into certain shapes. In particular, the sealing technology used to make the seams between the plastic panels used to form inflatable kayaks was limited to butt welds, and butt welds could not be used to make seams which came to a sharp point. Consequently, the inflatable portions of these kayaks were cylindrical in shape with slightly rounded ends, and did not taper.
As a result of these limitations in manufacturing technology conventional inflatable kayaks had a three section hull design--a relatively long, straight middle section which was parallel to the long axis of the kayak, and two triangular end sections which angled upwards from the middle section. Consequently, conventional inflatable kayaks included two corners and an angled interface where each triangular end section intersected with the straight middle section. This nonstreamlined design impaired the performance of the inflatable kayak. In particular, the corners and angle at the intersection between the end sections and middle section of the kayak decreased its speed and maneuverability due to the drag created by the corners and angle.
Due to these disadvantages associated with conventional inflatable kayaks, a need exists for an inflatable kayak with performance comparable to noninflatable kayaks. In particular, the speed and maneuverability of inflatable kayaks should be improved without decreasing the portability or safety of inflatable kayaks.